Three Midlands Artists Awarded Fellowships

July 31, 2012

src=file:///C:UsersmhoughAppDataLocalTempmsohtmlclip1%EF%BF%BD1clip_image002.jpg

COLUMBIA, SC – July 31, 2012 – The South Carolina Arts Commission Board has awarded Individual Artist Fellowships to three South Carolina artists in the categories of poetry, prose and dance choreography. Each artist receives $5,000.

This year’s fellows are:

“The arts, and all the benefits they bring, depend on capable artists, who are true entrepreneurs running home-grown businesses and who are central to the creative industries in our state,” said S.C. Arts Commission Executive Director Ken May. “Fellowships offer resources that artists can use to advance their careers. Successful artists highlight our state’s culture and creativity and help project a positive image beyond our borders.”

The S.C. Arts Commission board approves fellowships based on recommendations made by out-of-state review panelists, who select fellows based solely on a review of anonymous work samples. The poetry panelist was Earl S. Braggs, author and professor of African American Studies of English at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga; prose panelist was A. J. Verdelle, author and distinguished faculty mentor in the MFA Creative Writing Program at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA; and dance panelist was Anna Leo, choreographer and associate professor of dance at Emory University, Atlanta.

Individual artists working in visual arts, craft, media production and media screenwriting may apply for the 2013-2014 fellowship awards. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1, 2012.

For more information about S.C. Arts Commission programs and services, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.

About the S.C. Arts Commission
The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission works to increase public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources.